It’s been a little while since I have re-proclaimed my love for Organized Crime. I have to admit that I still have dreams about the 2016 Pipe Down – it’s hard to top any bottle in Ontario in terms of quality and value across the board for a wine like that. I was fortunate enough to have the folks at the winery send me a few of their new releases. It took me a little bit to get through it – but it’s clear that it’s not just the Pipe Down that’s good. Here are some thoughts on the new wines at Organized Crime.
2017 Wild Ferment Riesling – $21.00 – ****+ – I don’t recall seeing a riesling in Ontario that has owned the fact that it was fermented wild. I do know that Wild Fermented Chardonnay brings a signature funk to the wines that apologetically let you know what’s in the bottle. It would seem in the hands of Greg Yemen that funk has been told to behave – but it’s still there. This riesling is perfectly balanced with just enough sweetness to make the fruit pop on your palate – peach, pear, macintosh apple. The finish is bright and crisp leaving your mouth begging for the next sip.
2017 Limestone Block Chardonnay – $21.00 – **** – Given that 2017 was a cool summer expect the acids to be bright and crisp – but this is a good thing. I love Chardonnay in this style – it’s got some nice complexity, but the zippy acids make it very food friendly. I can see this being served next to souvlaki, or grilled fish – but it might not hold up next to a big steak. The flavours are apple, pear, and citrus – and as the name suggests you can expect a satisfying mineral backbone.
2017 Cuvée Krystyna Chardonnay – $28.00 – ****+ – Krystyna was one of the founders of Organized Crime, and I can’t think of a more fitting way to remember someone than by naming a wine after them. This Chardonnay is definitely a fitting tribute as it oozes with elegance and complexity. This was wild fermented – but the signature funky note is so well integrated into the wine you really need to think about what’s going on in your mouth. The flavours are peach, gala apple, pear, and a mineral note pokes through over all the fruit. This has great acidity to pair with food – but frankly, buy your bottle – forget about it for 6 months and revisit it. This would be a bottle to hold onto and raise a glass for a special occasion.
2017 Pipe Down – $22.00 – ****½ – What an outstanding follow up to the massive 2016 Pipe Down. This is a blend of 38.2 Cabernet Franc, 35.2 Merlot, 20.3 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6.3 Petit Verdot. The challenges of the cool 2017 summer are not present anywhere in this bottle. The fruit is blueberry, plum, blackberry, cassis – everything you would normally find from a hot summer bordeaux varietal in Ontario. The tannin is already soft and perfectly integrated so this is definitely one of the bottles you can pop open and enjoy with your summer barbecues – but if you decide to buy a few to hold it should evolve nicely over the next 3-5 years – maybe longer if you have the patience.
2017 Break-In Pinot Noir – $21.00 – **** – The great thing about solid Pinot at this price point from Ontario is the market is far from crowded – so there’s plenty of room to add these to your cellar especially when they deliver the goods – this bottle delivers the goods. The Beamsville Bench is a perfect halfway point between the earthy Pinot’s from closer to the lake, and the lighter more fruit driven offerings from Prince Edward County. This walks a great tightrope of earthy, and fruity with a great acid backbone. For a twenty dollar bottle of Pinot you’ve got something that can spend a bit of time in the cellar to relax and soften – but at this price you can enjoy this right now. I hate doing specific food pairings but I’m really thinking about grilled lamb to go with this wine.
2017 Pinot Noir Reserve – $36.00 – **** – This is just satisfying – and the day I tasted this I immediately regretted opening the bottle in its youth. This needs a bit of time to relax and grow into itself before being released – so if you’re impatient (like me) expect to toss this in a decanter for an hour before enjoying. Expect exceptional concentration of black cherry, and ripe red cherry mingling with damp, mossy spring forest floor. This is juicy and complex – just a stunning example of what is right about Pinot from the Beamsville Bench.
2016 Cabernet Sauvignon – $36.00 – **** – I have been a little gun-shy when it comes to the appassimento wines from Ontario lately – so I was shocked to see that this bottle has 66% dried Cab Sauv in it. This has also seen 60% new oak before hitting the bottle. This wine is massive, and in spite of it’s dried fruit has retained fantastic acidity in spite of the hot 2016 summer. Alcohol is fairly restrained for many of the hot vintage appassimento reds from a hot summer coming in at 14%. This is going to take a bit of time for the fruit to come front and centre, but it’s definitely in the bottle and it is begging to come out. Cassis, cherry, and raspberry are there – but they are currently fighting with smoke and cocoa notes so have patience when you guys this.
2016 Cabernet Franc – $42.00 – ****+ – This Cabernet Franc is made with 45% appassimento and manages to be restrained at 14.1% alcohol. This is rich and complex – it leads with cocoa and spice and then moves to cassis, blackberry, dark cherry, and plum. The tannin is already well integrated in this wine – but I imagine this ageing gracefully over the next 5-7 years easily.
